Dallas Police Chase Ends on Love Field Airport Tarmac

DALLAS - A man is in custody after leading a police chase that ended on an airport tarmac, interfering with air traffic.

Michael Laurence Browne, 46, led officers on a winding chase through Dallas before driving his stolen Chevrolet pickup through the security gates of Love Field airport and onto the tarmac.

The truck burst through a gated station, forcing a guard to jump to safety, and continued onto runways and taxiways before officers forced the vehicle onto a grassy area. They then pinned the rear quarter of the truck, immobilizing it, a move known as pitting.

With guns drawn, officers removed a shirtless Browne from the truck and arrested him.

He was transported by ground ambulance to Parkland Hospital then later taken to prison.

The chase, which lasted for about an hour, began when police attempted to stop Browne in the 5700 block of Arapaho Road, according to Dallas police representative Officer Jesse Reyes.

The suspect refused to pull over and instead drove across the city, leading officers down side streets and onto highways.

Early on in the pursuit, one of the rear tires on Browne's vehicle blew out, and the entire rim soon came off. However, he continued driving on the axle for the duration of the chase, carving a deep groove into the streets on which he drove.

Reyes said Browne had carjacked the pickup in Fort Worth on Wednesday and committed a violent robbery in Dallas early Thursday. In fact, Reyes said, he is suspected in a string of violent crimes.

Under current Dallas police policy, officers are not allowed to box in or strategically crash into a suspect vehicle, known as pitting, except for situations when deadly force is required. When the suspect drove onto the tarmac, Reyes said, policy allowed for use of deadly force.

"Given that they were on the runway and that there was minimal traffic out there, that there was a potential of landing planes that would endanger several lives, the supervisors monitoring that chase authorized a pit maneuver," Reyes said.

Browne now faces several potential charges, including multiple aggravated robbery offenses, Reyes said.

SECURITY FLAW?

Concerns remain about how easily the suspect was able to drive his vehicle onto the Love Field tarmac.

When asked by reporters if there were any looming security concerns with the airport, Reyes provided little information.

"Everything is under review, including the situation here at the end," he said.

Reyes said the airport instituted its emergency plan, but did not specify what that entailed.

The harrowing incident forced the temporary closing of at least one runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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